


bring a new romance

by reesentment



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Christmas Fluff, Community Choir, Fluff, M/M, Music, Pining, Romance, Violinist Yangyang, Vocalist Donghyuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:20:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28351554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reesentment/pseuds/reesentment
Summary: The first time Yangyang hears Donghyuck sing, he has to ask Mark if it's really him and not some prepared recording that he's lip-syncing to.But Mark only chuckles at him, just as doubtfully. "You've never heard him sing?"In which their community choir is tapped to sing at a departmental Christmas party, and Yangyang has trouble connecting Donghyuck's golden, angelic voice to the troublemaker he's perceived – but not really known – for almost a decade of his life.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Liu Yang Yang
Comments: 19
Kudos: 133





	bring a new romance

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and thank you for clicking on this fic! This was written for Day 16 of [23 Days of Wonder](https://twitter.com/littlewonderfic/status/1336330145406144517) (theme: carols).
> 
> Title is from 90's Love, which I hold very dear to my heart.
> 
> Big thanks to Melai for looking this over for me, and for the constant support.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The first time Yangyang hears Donghyuck sing, he stares, slack-jawed, unable to believe that the troublemaker he's perceived for almost a decade of his life is capable of sounding like this.

During a break in practice, he asks Mark if it's really him and not some prepared recording that he's lip-syncing to. He wouldn't put it past Donghyuck, who was probably here because he had to do some sort of community service. He's had similar run-ins with him before.

But Mark only chuckles at him, just as doubtfully. "You've never heard him sing?" he asks, and Yangyang shouldn't feel like a fool, but he does.  
  


–  
  


It was the last week of November, and Taeil had called him and some of his friends to check if they were interested in rejoining the community choir they played for last year. Yangyang agreed right away, always eager to put his violin practice to good use, especially since there weren't any showcases going on as of late. Chenle also agreed to play piano for them again, excited to meet up with his friends from the local college.

Their first practice was scheduled on Friday evening at one of the college’s smaller lecture halls. It was reserved for their choir by Taeil himself, who can call in favors like this by virtue of being the sole organizer of most, if not all of the school's music-oriented events.

At 4:55 pm, Yangyang files in with Chenle and some of the seniors he introduced him to – Kun, Jaehyun, and Jungwoo. The same lot he'd known since last year – Renjun, Xiaojun, and Taeil – are already in the room.

There weren't a lot of them back then, either, but their voices more than make up for what they lack in number. The hall may be too big for just the few of them, though, but Taeil says he likes the acoustics here, and Yangyang isn't going to argue with that.

Taeil takes the podium after a few minutes, and it should be funny because there are less than ten people here, but oddly it seems only right.

"Welcome, everyone, thank you for coming," Taeil says. "We should be starting in a bit, we're just waiting for a couple more people," he cuts off, just as the double doors swing open to reveal Mark, and... Donghyuck?

Yangyang narrows his eyes and pulls Taeil closer to him from where he was standing at the podium. "What's he doing here?" he asks, with just a tiny bit of hostility.

Taeil chuckles nervously. "Who, Hyuck? Yeah, he wasn't here last year, but it makes sense, doesn't it?" and Yangyang just stares at him, not comprehending.

He knows Mark from some of his classes, and even eats lunch with him from time to time. He knows Donghyuck, on the other hand, only distantly, and what he does know of him he's disliked for the longest time.

Donghyuck was... inescapable. They attended the same middle school and high school, and are now in the same college as well – both in the Music department, no less. Through all those stages, Donghyuck has always been in the circles of whoever was noisiest, rowdiest, and admittedly most popular. Yangyang has seen him exasperate teachers to no end, in the few classes they’ve shared together. He’s seen him pull pranks on Jeno Lee before they surprisingly became best friends. Yangyang has never been victimized by Donghyuck, and he thinks it’s because he knows well enough to keep his distance from him.

True to form, Donghyuck saunters to the front of the hall, Mark following behind him. Donghyuck is wearing a black turtleneck, distressed jeans, and boots as if he's walking into a casting call and not a practice room for a community choir. It makes Yangyang a bit miffed, and totally not because he suddenly feels underdressed in his hoodie, jeans, and sneakers.

The blonde boy steals the spot next to Chenle, and that irritates Yangyang even more, especially since they start clapping each other's backs and talking loudly about what they've been up to at their respective schools.  _ As if they don’t go out for parties on the regular _ , Yangyang thinks, recalling the stories Chenle tells him.

Thankfully, Taeil returns to the podium and clears his throat. "Okay, now that we're all here, I'd like to make an announcement," he says with a raised voice, and Donghyuck mercifully shuts up. "Apart from our regular caroling for the residents of our community, we also scored a slightly bigger gig. The college's Philosophy department invited us to perform at their annual Christmas party," Taeil says, hands gripping the podium in excitement.

"Alright team!" Donghyuck exclaims, and subsequently launches into a whooping fit.  _ He might as well be waving a foam finger around _ , Yangyang thinks, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. The rest of them cheer along, Xiaojun even joining the whooping.

Taeil smiles widely, then gets serious as he continues. "They gave us a 5-minute time slot, and requested O Holy Night specifically. Apparently, it's the department chair's favorite," Taeil says, and well, that's new. They usually perform at least five songs of their choice. But Taeil might be agreeing to it because –

"It's a paid gig, you guys, even worth more than our standard collection," Taeil says in a rush, leaning towards them from where he's all but jumping on the podium. Yangyang beams at him and the rest of his choir mates, right before Donghyuck instigates another round of whooping. Seriously, even when they're one seat apart, Yangyang feels Donghyuck's voice hammering his eardrums.

Taeil quiets them down. "I've copped an arrangement from the college orchestra, and there are two solo parts. We will now vote on who should get them," Taeil explains, stepping down from the podium and handing out the sheet music as well as prepared pieces of paper with penciled-in blanks. Once everyone has them, he grabs what was once a box for ballpens – now a makeshift ballot box – and waits for them to cast their votes.

Yangyang goes over the solo parts marked in the sheet music, and looks around the room. Renjun is a no-brainer – his register is perfect for the song. As for the other solo part, Yangyang thinks Kun would be a good fit, from the few times he's heard him sing at their school's showcases. He writes down both names, folds the paper in half, and flags Taeil to put it in the box.

Once they've all cast their votes, Taeil utilizes the chalkboard to tally them, and when he encircles the names with the most votes, Yangyang is surprised.

Renjun was expected. But Donghyuck? 

_ Did he rig the voting somehow? _ Yangyang thinks as he looks around to take in everyone's reactions, but they start shaking Donghyuck's hand and patting him on the back, as if it was also expected. Even Renjun, who Yangyang considers to be a bit of a primadonna himself sometimes, seems pleased with this outcome.

Yangyang leans back in his chair in silence. It's not like he can protest or anything. Honestly, he hadn't even considered Donghyuck in the running. Sure, it was mostly because he hadn't heard his voice before, but it was also because he thought he was just here for shenanigans that had yet to be revealed.

"Okay, so that's settled. Renjun will take the first solo and Donghyuck will take the second one," Taeil says, and claps twice. "Let's get to it, then!"

Chenle walks over to sit at the keyboard already set up by Taeil when they came in, and Yangyang stands by Chenle, tuning his violin. The rest of them stand to form a semi-circle facing Taeil.

When Taeil gives them the downbeat, Chenle starts playing the intro and Yangyang follows suit, sight-reading his own solo for the intro as he goes along. A few bars later, Renjun's sweet voice, mellow and whole from years of training, fills the room.

Yangyang puts his violin down for the solo parts, and during the chorus parts, Taeil cuts a few times while conducting to correct some harmonies and enunciations. It takes a while to get to Donghyuck's part, but contrary to Yangyang’s expectations, he stands still and serious the whole time.

Then, the second solo comes. And here he is now, unable to close his mouth that is now apparently stuck in a permanent gasp.

No one else seems surprised that Donghyuck sings like this, but Yangyang is so shocked that he almost misses his cue. He's incredulous that the blonde, obnoxious boy who had been such a noisy, dissonant presence in his school life secretly possessed a voice crafted by Apollo himself. A voice that could make storm clouds dissipate, that could warm any winter night.

Except it wasn’t so secret after all. How had he managed to escape the knowledge that Donghyuck had the voice that he has? Yangyang asks himself, before realizing that he has actually been making an effort in the past years to elude all knowledge of Donghyuck himself, as much as he possibly can. It's impossible, because they went to relatively small schools, but he's apparently managed it to this extent.

When Mark asks him during break if he’s never heard Donghyuck sing before, Yangyang thinks back to their departmental showcases, and either Donghyuck’s schedules never lined up with the ones he goes to, or he just never bothered to show up for them. Yangyang hopes it wasn’t always the latter.  
  


–  
  


As per tradition, they all have dinner after practice. Donghyuck takes the empty seat next to Yangyang, which takes him by surprise, considering there are vacant ones next to Renjun and Chenle. He was closer to them than Yangyang. Though they have talked briefly before, for necessary instances such as group projects and club functions, they've never really hung out in a setting as casual as this. The rest of the group chatters sporadically in tiny circles, catching up with one another, Donghyuck joining in as many conversations as his mouth can keep up with.

Yangyang just sits and listens, observing that Donghyuck is also capable of listening to other people, capable of not drawing all the attention to himself. He also mildly appreciates that Donghyuck hasn't tried to shoehorn him into any discussions, as he kind of expected him to.

As Donghyuck chews on his food, Yangyang feels compelled to fill the silence between them. "Never knew you had a voice like that," Yangyang mumbles despite himself, surprised that was the first thought that came to mind.

Donghyuck swallows his food and smiles warmly, and Yangyang gulps. He's never looked at him this close before, and he can see moles dotting his cheek. "Yeah? Well, it's understandable, I didn’t see you in the showcases I've sang at," Donghyuck smirks, and Yangyang is on the brink of being annoyed at him again, before he says, "Thank you." It's as sincere as Yangyang could hope for.

He tries not to think too hard about what he said, but he can't help but wonder. Did Donghyuck look for him in those showcases to know that he wasn’t there?

"You play really beautifully, yourself," Donghyuck speaks up again, in a softer voice, coupled with warm, brown eyes directed right at him. Yangyang suddenly feels helpless. Specifically, he feels an inexplicable full-body blush he has no hope of controlling.  
  


–  
  


For the next two weeks, they meet up every Wednesday and Friday evening for practice, and Donghyuck acts the same as he always does, except not really.

Yangyang notices that Donghyuck is always up for good-natured ribbing and playing with the others, but he generally gives him plenty of space. He doesn’t know why it bothers him. Is he not likeable or fun enough for him?

Then again, sometimes, when Yangyang would look up from his violin or sheet music, he’d catch Donghyuck staring at him from his spot in the semi-circle. He’d look away as soon as he’s caught, but not quick enough and not infrequent enough that Yangyang doesn’t take notice.

Deep down, though, he can guess why Donghyuck treats him differently. Yangyang is at fault for never really taking the time to get to know Donghyuck past his surface-level antics, but he sees him and understands him better now, knows he’s not much of a troublemaker when it comes to music and performance.

One day, Donghyuck forgets his sheet music, and he helplessly looks around for an extra copy, shooting apologies to everyone for holding up the practice. Yangyang reflexively hands his out and tells him he could photocopy it at a station to the left of the lecture hall. Donghyuck looks at him, stock-still, before Mark coughs somewhere behind him and Donghyuck says a quick "thank you" before hurriedly going out to the photocopier. When he comes back and practice starts, he sings brightly, inflecting dynamics Yangyang hasn't noticed before.

Another thing Yangyang notes is that Donghyuck sits next to him at every after-practice dinner. He even asked Jungwoo to switch places with him the one time someone else gets there first.

In one instance, as their orders arrive and they all start to share gossip about their mutual friends, Donghyuck notices that Yangyang doesn't have food in front of him.

"Hey, aren't you going to eat?" he asks, and Yangyang shakes his head. “I forgot my wallet at home,” he says, laughing it off. Donghyuck doesn’t even hesitate before pulling out his wallet and handing him a few bills. “Please get yourself food, my treat,” he says, and grins at him. 

Yangyang cannot understand how this is the same boy who bothers Jaehyun and Xiaojun for free meals any chance he gets, pretending he left his wallet at home, and Yangyang gets all the more touched when he thinks about it.

At one of their last practices, Donghyuck and Yangyang arrive earlier than the rest, and they set up the keyboard and music stands as they wait for the others. Yangyang moves around wordlessly, trying to ignore how the air feels charged, metal stands clanging around the room. 

When they’re almost done setting up, Yangyang coughs and Donghyuck finally looks at him. “Thank you, for the other day,” Yangyang says, hoping Donghyuck will know what he means. “I can pay you back or treat you to dinner later, too, up to you,” he continues, because for one, he doesn’t like owing people money, and two, he’d hate to let a kind, voluntary favor from Donghyuck go unreturned.

But Donghyuck only shakes his head, laughing softly. “I said it was my treat, right? No worries,” he says, laying a hand on Yangyang’s shoulder. They stay like that, for a moment, holding each other’s gaze. Yangyang sees Donghyuck’s hand almost reaching up to cup his cheek, and he almost freezes when the double doors swing open and they jump apart. Donghyuck goes to greet Mark and Renjun by hugging them, and Yangyang wonders if the moment was real, or if he’d just imagined it.  
  


–  
  


The day of their performance finally arrives, and they meet backstage at the function hall of the Philosophy department, with about an hour left before they go onstage.

They had agreed to wear red, smart casual, and Yangyang decides to wear a red button up, black skinny jeans, and loafers. The others' fits are just as much of a step up from their usual and Yangyang thinks they look like a proper choir, now, as they should.

But when Donghyuck steps into the room, Yangyang almost drops his violin case from where he’s setting it at a table.

He looks absolutely stunning in his red fleece turtleneck and flared black slacks, dress shoes peeking out the hem of his pants, gold chain drop earrings accentuating his sharp jawline. But what completely steals Yangyang's breath away is the smokey eye makeup that Donghyuck had applied for the occasion – alluring and mesmerizing – and Yangyang is unable to look away.

"Sorry I'm late," Donghyuck says to the group as a whole, but his gaze falls on Yangyang last. Yangyang, who's suddenly very aware that Donghyuck has taken the seat next to him, yet again.

"It's fine, we still have time," Renjun says. "You look really good, Hyuck," he adds on, and the rest nod in agreement.

"You're not so bad yourself, Renjun," Donghyuck replies cheekily, and it's true, Renjun also looks great in his red collared sweater with gold accents. It's just, for the life of him, Yangyang still hasn't stopped sneaking glances at Donghyuck.

He hasn't stopped being hyperconscious of Donghyuck's warm body next to his, elbows almost touching, when the program starts. Soon enough they get informed that they're up in 20 minutes, and Yangyang takes out his bow and violin, applying rosin and tuning as needed. Jaehyun, Kun, and Taeil already set up the music stands and keyboard up front before the program started, and all they have to do is wait for their cue to go out and take their positions.

Yangyang rubs his thumb while holding his bow, a nervous habit he's acquired over the years. Donghyuck catches sight of it, and lays a hand at Yangyang's nape. "You'll do great. I trust you, we all do," he says in that gentle voice of his again, and Yangyang applauds himself for not shivering or tensing or doing anything that Donghyuck would notice and that would subsequently give him away.

Instead, he hides it in how his chest constricts, in how all of his attention is now focused on the back of his neck where Donghyuck is still touching him, likely waiting for him to respond.

"Thank you. It really means a lot," he finally says, and releases the exhale he’s been holding.

Donghyuck smiles at him again, fingers momentarily reaching up to fix stray strands of Yangyang's hair before drawing back. Yangyang feels his stage fright gradually fade away, overtaken by nerves of another kind.

Before he can really consider it, Taeil rounds them up, just five minutes left before go-time.

He keeps it short and simple. "I'd like to thank you all again for doing this. I'm proud of how we came together and made music the way we did. Let's show them what we got!" He says, putting his arms around Jungwoo and Xiaojun, and so on, until they're all forming a circle. Donghyuck puts his arm around Yangyang.

"Let's go team!" Donghyuck whispers, as loud as deemed appropriate, jumping up and down in place. They all smile and pat each others’ backs, just as they get their cue to go up onstage.

Once they're in position, Yangyang plays an A with Chenle, tuning just one more time. Taeil bows to the audience, the rest following, then he turns to face the choir, raising his baton. He gives the downbeat and Chenle starts playing.

Yangyang plays as well as he could, remembering just how much he loves playing in front of an audience, with people who love music just as much as he does. Renjun sings his solo perfectly, and when the chorus starts, their voices mingle in a beautiful harmony. Yangyang plays a few instrumental bars, then stops when Donghyuck begins to sing.

He's captivating – just as captivating as the first time he heard him sing, as well as every subsequent time he listened to him during practice. Donghyuck has the ability to command and seize the attention of every person in the room, and it's no different here, amidst professors and esteemed guests of the department. He pours his heart out to the song every time he uses his voice, and Yangyang would get lost in it again, if he didn’t have practice.

He picks up his cue, and the chorus starts once more, swelling as they all come together, voices and instruments resounding across the hall.

When they finish, they get a standing ovation. They bow repeatedly as the applause continues, and Yangyang meets Donghyuck's eyes from across the stage. They smile at each other happily, and it doesn't matter that it's just a regular function hall, that their audience is just around 50 people, and that Yangyang isn't playing solo. He easily claims this as one of his favorite performances.

As they cheerily return backstage, "good job!" and "we did so well!" being said to one another, Yangyang gets hit by a bolt of courage. He stops Donghyuck at a corner just before the dressing room, out of view from the rest of the group, and sets his violin and bow down at a table behind him.

Donghyuck looks at him quizzically, smile faltering. "Hey Yangyang, what's up?"

Yangyang doesn't know how to express himself except to just be honest. He prays the right words will come as he says them. 

"I, uh. I just wanted to say – you were incredible. You're great all the time actually, but I just wanted to tell you just how much-," he gets cut off by the feeling of Donghyuck's warm lips on his. It only lasts a second, and when he pulls back, Donghyuck looks just as surprised as he is. Every nerve in Yangyang's body is on fire.

"Sorry," Donghyuck says hastily, rubbing his hands in front of him. "Sorry. You were great too. I always love listening to you play-," and this time, it's Yangyang who pulls him closer by the waist, leaning in for a real kiss. He hears Donghyuck take a shaky inhale through his pretty mouth before Yangyang claims it in a kiss more firm than the first one, swallowing Donghyuck's ensuing exhale. Their lips envelop each other and Yangyang puts a hand up to the back of Donghyuck's head, and the sound he makes at that is so pretty, pretty like the rest of him.

They break up upon hearing the sound of a slow clap. Jaehyun, of all people, had rounded the corner and had seen them, the claps calling the others' attention as well. They peek at them now, bodies too close together, all too incriminating in and of itself.

"Finally!" Renjun exclaims, the others laughing in unison.

"Honestly, the tension between you two was getting nauseating," Kun says, just as knowingly.

"Please, can you two lovebirds save it for after dinner? We only have this space for 10 minutes more, and you two need to pack your things and/or get changed.  _ Separately, _ " Taeil says with finality, and Yangyang almost dies on the spot. Luckily, he hears Donghyuck laugh and say, "Right away, boss," pulling Yangyang by the hand towards the changing areas.

After picking up his clothes, Donghyuck comes closer to Yangyang, in a space just out of earshot from the others. Yangyang waits with bated breath, but all Donghyuck says is, "I've been waiting to ask you for months now, but will you go out with me?"

"Months? Really?" Yangyang says first, disbelieving.

"Really. I saw you play at a showcase at the start of the year, and I've been crushing on you from afar ever since," Donghyuck says, eyes downcast but lips turned up in a smile. He reaches out to hold Yangyang's hand between both of his. "If you'd let me, I'd really like to take you out, change the impression you've always had about me," he chuckles self-deprecatingly.

Yangyang stares at him in horror. "That was my bad! I hold you in the highest regard now, I swear," he says, perhaps a little too honest. He tries to save it by responding, "Of course I'll go out with you."

Donghyuck beams at him, so radiantly, and lifts the hand he's still holding to kiss his knuckles tenderly. If they were anywhere else, Yangyang would pull him into another kiss. But it can wait.

When Donghyuck holds his gaze and smiles at him again, Yangyang hears a different symphony in his head, one that sounds like a new romance.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated :) Leave some below and/or come talk to me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/linobeoms) and [CC](https://curiouscat.qa/Iinohyuck)!


End file.
